Friday, November 19, 2010

My garden path

"Like a big mountain, a small garden stimulates, restores, and delights us, just as it poses challenges, promotes mastery, provides exercise and relieves monotony." The Power of Place - Winifred Gallagher

Quiet contemplation beneath the yellowwood tree

Today, you might care to join us on a stroll along the garden path that gently meanders through the top section of our front garden. This path is just on a year old. Some sections of garden lining it are equally new and still being developed.

Heathcliff is first to greet us and says, "Oh goody! Are you coming too?"

We'll start at the steps leading to the upper terraced area. The metal secretary bird nestling in the blushing foliage of the New Zealand flax is a purchase from a roadside hawker. I have others elsewhere in the garden. Although produced in large numbers, each is unique, as they are made by hand. It's a great way to support our local craftsmen whilst adding whimsy to the garden.

Now we're on the upper terraced area of the garden. The clivias were planted a year ago. The rampant ground cover, mostly sweet English violets, grew on their own. I decided to let them be even though they hide my pebbles and barkchips. They do require trimming to stop them spilling completely on to the pathway.

From here, the path closely follows the perimeter wall between us and our neighbours. The tree trunk visible to the right in the photo above was cut down last year to allow more light into this section of the garden. It was a very large silky oak and was competing with an equally large camphor tree. I saved as much of the wood as possible to use in the garden as features.

Seating area on the top terrace

Let us continue along the path as it slowly meanders down towards the far end of the garden. Before we do, turn around and see from where we've just come to get a better perspective.

Right, now let's head on with our stroll as the dogs are growing impatient.

Toby is pretending to eat my plants to get my attention!

COME ON, MOM!!! We're getting bored!

The dogs say, "Oh, good! We've turned the corner at last!" I have two delicious monsters growing to the left of the path just beyond the trunk of the camphor tree, which is on your immediate left. Don't bump your head on the butterfly that occupies pride of place on the tree.

View from the path looking towards the house

Turn to look behind where you are right now & this is what you see

I'll need to take an updated picture as these plants are now growing in the ground and I've added two extra mirrors on the wall. As I've said, this garden is constantly evolving. Right let's continue...

A little further ahead & looking to your right, this is a little vignette you'll see

Looking ahead now as we approach one of my garden's water features

The water feature at the point where the path splits is now on your immediate right

Turn around at this spot looking back to where we've come from & this is what you'll see

Slightly further along the path, to the left & looking back to the way we've come.

Slightly below and to the right of the picture above

And, turning around once more, next time we'll continue in the direction we were headed.

We hope you have enjoyed your stroll so far and that you'll be able to meet us again, soon, to see what else we have to show you. In the meantime, I'll leave you with a quote by Marcel Proust:

The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes.

1 comment:

Your garden is so pretty. Each little section has its own attractions.I thoroughly enjoyed the butterfly, secretary bird and the lizard. The whimsical nature of your garden is delightful.Thank you for a refreshing walk :D)